Dear Urban Diplomat: what do I do about that unscooped doo-doo?

(Image: Joshua Ganderson)Dear Urban Diplomat,
I live kitty-corner to St. James Park. There’s a mobility scooter–bound senior in my building who leaves his dog’s doo-doo unscooped every morning, often on the main park path, which is also my route to work. I don’t enjoy navigating a minefield every day, but what can I do?

—Crappy Commute,St. Lawrence

Is he unable to scoop, or just lazy? If it’s the latter, ask him politely to clean up after his dog. If it’s the former, you’ll need plastic baggies and a level of altruism that would make Mother Teresa blush. Sacrificial stooping and scooping will be awful, but it will simultaneously clear the path and ­catapult your karma score. If you’re dead set against tending to the fecal matter of a stranger’s canine (which would be understandable), you really only have two choices left: watch your step or take a different route.